


Chapter 2

by Adge



Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-29 19:15:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20441117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adge/pseuds/Adge





	Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Stand Still Stay Silent](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/514040) by Minna Sundberg. 

# Chapter 2

Mora city, matriarch, railhub,  
Welcomes the train, washes its riders  
Safe from bringing sickness to town  
In body or clothes. But cleaning splits  
The league fellowship: Lalli night-scout   
Delayed, confused, a false way takes   
To strange technology and new draught-beasts,  
Carriage haulers, highway pacers,  
He takes for moose till Tuuri skald  
Clepes them horses. Cleanser Emil   
Pleads to be left his explosive stock,  
His professional bag, but bureaucrat rules   
Confiscate the lot. Released as cleansed  
The team reforms; Torbjörn offers  
The six task-friends the city to explore   
Safely enwrapped from the rash sickness.  
Tuuri hopeful for horse-nuzzling  
For a carriage begs; but cost forbids  
Though Torbjörn hides his hoardlessness  
For shame of loss, and lets them browse   
The goods in the shops. Gaping, Tuuri   
Wanders the mother-town wowed by the riches   
In the shop windows: the shining cakes  
Unwrap her purse, revelling in the safety  
Of the Swedes' high-stead. Suaded by Emil  
She recounts the tale of her cold childhood  
When the three sibs in Saimaa dwelt  
Among isle villages vanishing to trolls –  
Tuuri, unimmune, tells the story   
As a cold fact that could happen.   
Then Västerströms invite them back  
Home for a briefing, to their brats' welcome –   
Changelings labelled by a child-ward's wrath  
Abdicating her cure as nanny  
Spite Torbjörn's pleas – Tuuri, maldict,  
With her tongue thrashes the three bratlings.  
In the clutter within, clear-eyed book-maid  
Curious Tuuri, technical skald  
Uncovers facts on the cast members  
Still to join them – sturdy the two  
From distant lands; for the deeds ahead  
Well-seasoned folk. Word on comrades  
Opens confidence; Emil haughty  
Narrates the tale of his rich upbringing,  
Private tutor, prideless schooling   
And cleanser post; closed in mindset,  
Sceptical Swede, skiting Emil  
Quiet to Tuuri a question frames –   
Lalli’s magery a mindless tag?  
Noita a folkmark, nothing beyond?  
So Lalli’s sib, loyal Tuuri,  
Hests her cousin Hotakainan  
A skill to show; scout-mage stubborn  
Lalli point-blank blocks her sayneed.   
Torbjörn leader the talk disrupts,  
The mission’s head moves to depart,  
Handing across the hoard of maps,  
Papers and lists prepared for the trip  
To wise Tuuri. Wakeful she notes   
A stead prepared for a purpose sealed   
From kingfolk minds: accumulate lost  
Books of old days and bear them home  
To change for gold and charge their purse.  
For this Torbjörn his tene labours   
Quit for silver-greed; Siv abandoned  
Her inept vaccines; to this veiled cause  
Subtle Taru and soldier Trond  
They suaded to join, so Suomi lakes  
And a Bornholm farm are the birth-cradles   
Of three of five. The threatened rain  
Drenches the group dragging their luggage  
To Mora staithe for military trains  
To Öresund Bridge through the evil lands.


End file.
